Mamma Mia, who doesn’t know this movie. The best songs to sing along and the dances to imitate. Not to mention the area, how fantastic does it look there?! You want to go there! Read on to find out how you can follow in Mamma Mia’s footsteps.
The film
Mamma Mia is about Donna who runs a hotel on the Greek (fictional) island of Kalokairi. Donna has a daughter named Sophie, who she gave birth to at a young age. Sophie’s father is not in the picture. In the film Sophie is getting married, but Sophie would like to be taken to the altar by a father as usual. Only she has no idea who this could be, so she invites the 3 potential fathers to come to Greece to find out which of the 3 father it is. She found these names in her mother’s diary from a long time ago.
Mamma Mia released in 2008 was such a success that the sequel ‘Mamma mia here we go again’ was released in 2018. This film is a sequel and at the same time a retrospective. In the film you see how Sophie takes over her mother’s hotel, and at the same time you go back in the past to the young Donna.
No part 2
In the second movie, Dona (Meryl Streep) has only a small part in the movie, this is because she has a no-follow-up rule. That means she will not participate in a second part of a movie. But she decided to do a little role in the film because she liked it too much.
Where was it shot
So, the film is set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, but where was it really shot? The first film was mainly shot in the studios in England, where Donna’s hotel was recreated. The rest of the film was shot on the Greek island of Skopelos and Skiathos, so this is a place you can visit. The second film, which according to the film takes place in Greece, was mainly shot on the Croatian island called fish. Croatia is very similar to Greece, so this is not noticeable in the film.
What makes Greece the perfect for this movie?
The background of this idyllic Greek island is very important for the vibe and feel of the movie. But what is the vibe this island creates for the movie? As mentioned in an article by The Guardian the island of Skopelos was and island without and airport, only reachable by ferry and best known for plums, pears, and pine trees. They did not have the massive resorts as other Greek islands do and the touristic appeal therefor was not that great. The island was still a view of what Greece used to be, being carefree, idyllic, life affirming. This overflow of good vibes, rough landscapes and a feel of freedom and a connection with nature makes that Greece was the perfect background for this movie. It truly captured the sense of having this beautiful space in the world that tourist couldn’t find but was a dream to live in. Obviously in real life the tourists have been able to find the island by now and makes that the real winner of this movie, in a way, is the island with their massive increase in tourist revenues. Because who does not want to have a romantic moment on the island of the now what already iconic movie Mamma Mia.
The dreamy island Skopelos
Not counting the obvious visual appeal in the movie, why was Skopelos the perfect island? Well as said in a post from The Thinking Traveller the island of Skopelos is a “green and pleasant island, where cool, shady pine woods run into golden beaches and blue-hued waters.” This description alone already makes you dream away towards being on the island. With a lot of the business on Skopelos being from trees, as previously mentioned mostly plum, olive and pine trees, it creates that rough yet beautiful landscape of dreams. It is a small island with a lot to see and do. You can either discover one of stunning beaches that cover the coastline of this island, which it has 70 km of. But when moving away from the coastline into the island you can explore the beautiful inland of this small island. It has some dreamy routes to climb in the island hilly landscape where you will find some monasteries and villages. These villages on the island sometimes give the impression that time has stood still which makes Skopelos also ideal for the movie. As the movie displays the island as a tourist dream that tourist that can’t find, which adds is perfect with these small villages where time stood still. So, a beautiful island with loads of nature, small and beautiful beaches and all-round stunning view makes it rather clear why they did pick this island as the backdrop for Mamma Mia the movie.
Then perfect photo island Skiathos
The other island used as the backdrop to film the first Mamma Mia movie is Skiathos. As said in an article by ‘Grieksegids’ this is for a lot of people one of the most loved Greek islands. As Skopelos it is that the island of Skiathos is also a very green island with beautiful sand beaches, stunning views of nature, sea and towns. The beautiful beaches on the island are truly the ideal images of sandy beaches with clear water with a lot of water sports possibilities. Skiathos is also an island where there are some amazing walking routes. According to ‘Grieksegids’ it has 25 walking routes that have a total length of 200 kilometres. As is the case on Skopelos the walking routes will take you through nature and past some ministries and historic places. All these routes obviously come with a view to die for. The olive and pine trees are also plenty full on the island of Skiathos. All in all, is has idyllic nature but also some nice, civilised parts of the island. With this balanced combination and dreamy looks it is easy to see why this island was suited for the movie Mamma Mia. It is a popular island-hopping destination for tourists, and this had only increased since the release of Mamma Mia the movie. It is easy to see why they chose to film here and easy to see why tourists love it, it just is a place that dreams are made of.
Follow in the footsteps of Mama Mia
Have you become completely enthusiastic, and can you already see yourself walking on the island of Mamma Mia? Book an island-hopping trip to the Mama Mia islands now. There you will visit the islands of Skiathos and Skopelos, quiet undiscovered islands where you can enjoy the surroundings, the sun and a drink.
Experience
Student Puck Karremans made this trip in 2018, here she tells about her experience.
It has been a while since I went island-hopping, it was in 2018. I went there together with a friend. We went to Skopelos and Skiathos for 1.5 weeks during the summer vacation. What my summer vacation usually looks like is 2/3 weeks with my parents on vacation. The year before I went on a drinking holiday and on vacation with my parents. This holiday was different than normal, and it is certainly not a well-known tourist spot, which is what made it so much fun. It is really for people who want peace and want to see beautiful things. Perfect for students who want to get out and about but don’t want to go on a drinking holiday like many fellow students.
My experience with island hopping is as follows: For us, the start of our holiday was completely unsuccessful, because the plane could not land due to the bad weather. We would go to Skopelos first and then to Skiathos. But Skopelos had a short runway and that in combination with the bad weather did not work. So, then we had to go back to the mainland and take the boat in that thunderstorm to Skiathos, because that was the closest. Then we slept there one night in a hotel, it was a very luxurious hotel, so I thought it was well organized.
The next day we went to Skopelos where we stayed for another 3 days. That means that you only spend the night there, breakfast and so was not included. We went for breakfast every day
What are you waiting for?!
Does this trip sound like music to your ears? What are you waiting for, gather your friends and book this trip. The environment is perfect for creating the perfect Instagram picture, or the perfect Pinterest shot. If you like discovering new things, enviable surroundings and sun, sea and beach, then this is your ultimate dream holiday.
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